INSTITUTO DE NIVEL TERCIARIO JUAN MANTOVANI

Taking into account the analysis of the short story, the following lines portraitsthe most relevant information about the writer.William Wymark Jacobs (1863-1943) was born in London, England. Although hecame from a poor family, he attended to a private school in London. In theearly 1890s Jacobs had some of his stories published in illustrated satiricalmagazines. It was in 1896 when the author published his first collection ofshort stories titled Many Cargoes, it was followed by The Skippers wooing(1897) and another collection of short stories titled Sea Urchins (1898).In 1900 he married Agnes Eleanor with whom he would have two sons andthree daughters. In 1902 he published The Lady of the Barge (1902)containing among other horror stories The Monkeys Paw (1914). WilliamWymark Jacobs died at Hornsey Lane, London in September 1943.Jacobs had a long and successful career, prolifically producing satirical andmacabre short stories. He displayed his exceptional talent to ingeniously devicecharacters and funny situations; generally, about the British underclass. Thisauthor belongs to the fantasy movement; The Monkeys Paw is a clearexponent of it owing to its mixture of imaginary and real events.Considering the analysis, the Title has a strong relation with the story, due tothe relevance of the talisman and how the characters are involved withsupernatural events.As regards the Theme, it points out the difficult, almost impossible task ofachieving resignation. It is expressed in: we had the first wish granted, saidthe old woman, feverishly, why not the second. (Chapter III); Its my boy, itsHerbert! she cried, struggling mechanically. I forgot he was two miles away.What are you holding me for? Lets go. I must open the door. (Chapter III).With reference to the setting, this story occurs at a psychological time due tothe fact that the author does not mention any chronological event which wouldpermit us locate the narration in a specific time. The story takes place at Mr.Whites house mainly, although there are other places mentioned such as thefactory and the cemetery. The place is considered scenic, because there is nodeep description of it and it does not affect the development of the story.Regarding the characters, Mr. White, a weak personality man, is the maincharacter owing to the fact he is the responsible for asking wishes. The other

characters are so relevant, such as Sergeant- Major Morris the man who gaveMr. White the talisman. Mr. Whites son Herbert, a sarcastic boy, who died in anaccident. Mrs. White, a dominant woman who strongly persuades her husbandto wish for her sons life. And finally, the man sent for the company toannounce the bad news about Herberts death to Mr. and Mrs. White.Taking into consideration the language, it consists of colloquial vocabulary inmost of characters conversations, as the expression: Hark at the wind(Chapter I). However, it presents formal style used not only by the narratorwhen describing a situation, for instance She broke of suddenly as the sinistermeaning assurance dawned upon her and she saw the awful confirmation ofher fears in others averted face (Chapter II) but also for certain characters,such as the man sent from Maw and Maggins: They admit no liability at all,but in consideration of your sons services the wish to present you with acertain sum as compensation (Chapter II).The events are narrated in third person, mainly in a dialogical style, using pasttenses, active voice and reported speech. It is present in the following: Morris said the things happened so naturally said his father (Chapter II) andHe took the paw dangling it between his front finger and thumb, suddenlythrew it upon the fire (Chapter I)The author uses an ironic tone reflected along the story, due to the use ofseveral figures of speech, such as: images of hearing, sight and touch,repetitions, metaphors, onomatopoeia and similes.

Images of hearing are spread along the tale: Neither spoke, but bothlay silently listening to the ticking of the clock. A stair cracked, and asqueaky mouse scurried noisily through the wall. (Chapter III); a loudknock resounded through the house (Chapter III) and The sound of hersobs died away on his ears (Chapter III).Image of sigh: Mr. White looked up sharply, just in time to intercept aknowing glance between mother and son (Chapter I); the oldwomans face was white, her eyes staring, and her breath inaudible, onthe husbands face was a look such as his friend the sergeant mighthave carried into his first action (Chapter III)Image of touch: and taking his wifes hand between his own,pressed it as he had been wont to do in their old courting days nearlyforty years before (Chapter II).Onomatopoeia presents in: tut, tut (Chapter I)Repetitions are found in the following: Its Herbert! She screamed. ItsHerbert! (Chapter III); WISH! she cried in a strong voice WISH!repeated his wife. (Chapter III).Metaphor is expressed in: something else which was to lighten thisload, too heavy for old hearts to bear. (Chapter III).

INSTITUTO DE NIVEL TERCIARIO JUAN MANTOVANI

Simile: Sounds like the Arabian Nights (Chapter I); As I wish it

twisted in my hand like a snake (Chapter I).Irony: well, dont break into the monkey before I come back, saidHerbert, as he rose from the table. Im afraid itll turn you into a mean,avaricious man, and we shall to disown you (Chapter II), meaning hisfather would not receive the money.

Focusing on the plot of the narration, The Monkeys Paw is a short story whichportrays a common family, consisting of a couple Mr. and Mrs. With and its onlyson, Herbert. They receive from a sergeant- major monkeys paw withsupernatural powers. The whole story turns around three wishes the monkeyspaw granted to its owner. The members of the family show a big eagernessabout that. At the end the three wishes are made. They ask for money and theyreceive it because of their sons death. Anxiously, the woman obliges herhusband to wish for her son back to life; her husband does it but terrified withthat idea he uses last wish to avoid the second one.The story depicts a variety of emotions but the most vivid ones are desperationand sorrow for the loss of a loved person. This situation changes their minds,being possible to predict that the void left by their sons death will never exist.On the whole, The Monkeys paw is a short story that depicts the difficulty forhuman beings to accept painful situations.The tragic and unpredictable events like the loss of a loved person make usforget our rational perspective of life. Mrs. White shows how hard it is to admitthe facts and to be aware of our impossibility to change things. It also provesour innate predisposition to find hope in the most terrible situations.Resignation is the best alternative but at the same time, I claim that we needhope to go on living.